Dakaretai Onna

Five years of being voted 'Most Huggable No. 1' is what Takato Saijō has spent his career building — a title he's worked hard for in a cutthroat entertainment industry where image is everything. Then Junta Azumaya shows up: a newcomer with a genuinely warm smile that audiences immediately fall for, and suddenly Takato's comfortable throne feels a lot less secure. What starts as professional rivalry gets complicated fast as these two men are forced into each other's orbits, and the tension between them shifts into something neither probably expected. At just two episodes, this 1990 OVA from APPP keeps things compact, focusing on the push-and-pull between a seasoned veteran who's used to being on top and a fresh face who threatens everything he's built. The entertainment industry backdrop gives it a specific flavor — the pressure of public image, the politics of popularity rankings, the way careers can pivot on a single smile. If you've already burned through Junjou Romantica or Sekaiichi Hatsukoi and want something older with a similar workplace rivalry energy, this scratches that itch. Fans of Love Stage!! who enjoy watching two people circle each other before admitting what's actually going on will find familiar ground here. It's a short watch, rooted in its era, and carries that classic boys' love tension between competition and attraction. Worth your afternoon if the premise sounds like your thing.